"I feel I'm incredibly fascinating and this blog bears witness to that simple fact. Friends, from far and wide, are often pestered to keep abreast of my life and opinions. I offer my most sincere greetings to random visitors as well."
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Saturday, March 27, 2004
Different Pathways
Friday, March 26, 2004
Borobodur
On Wednesday, I was talking about the discomfort in lugging around a heavy camcorder. However, I don't look too upset in this picture taken in Java, Indonesia. We spent a summer travelling from Jakarta down to Bali and back. The Borobodur Temple is an amazing ancient Buddhist site.
Thursday, March 25, 2004
Birthday Balloons?
Honestly, the world is so much smaller than the first time I went overseas. Communication is so much easier and cheaper. There used to be a feeling of being elsewhere when it took several weeks for a letter to travel home. That meant it was an entire month for a round-trip message.
Now, people can live permanently in a virtual-halfway zone between two locations. I'm not exactly sure what this means for countries who accept immigrants. It used to be certain that a new comer was giving up the old life and was forced to embrace a new one. Now the dynamics are different. There are certainly advantages to these developments too. Jay's sister had a birthday last week. Rather than a mere phone message, Jay 'right-clicked,' ordered up a birthday cake, and had it delivered right to her house on the other side of the globe.
Sri Lanka Food - at Kapruka
If you can type in your credit card number nowadays, you can give almost anything to anyone anywhere. Relatives and families from away can provide so much more than just a cake!
Luxury Ballooning in Sri Lanka
Okay, that's what I want for my birthday!
I Love Those Who Agree: Now Don Responds
And the result is, not only are we in touch at the click of a mouse button, but the world is becoming so similar. One can be away from home by several thousand miles and and a few continents, and still go to a cinema complex, watch "Mystic River", eat at KFC or Mickey D's, smoke Marlboro lights (or not), stop in at the local cold store and pick up a box of Oreo cookies and low fat milk to have on my Post Raisin Bran in the morning. Come in at mid-night, turn on a 29 inch TV and watch Will & Grace or Jay Leno, take a shower with Dial soap, and go to sleep on Martha Stewart K-Mart sheets. Am I in Vermont, Thailand, Bahrain or Sri Lanka?
A far cry from my Peace Corps days in a small village in Senegal.
Now, people can live permanently in a virtual-halfway zone between two locations. I'm not exactly sure what this means for countries who accept immigrants. It used to be certain that a new comer was giving up the old life and was forced to embrace a new one. Now the dynamics are different. There are certainly advantages to these developments too. Jay's sister had a birthday last week. Rather than a mere phone message, Jay 'right-clicked,' ordered up a birthday cake, and had it delivered right to her house on the other side of the globe.
Sri Lanka Food - at Kapruka
If you can type in your credit card number nowadays, you can give almost anything to anyone anywhere. Relatives and families from away can provide so much more than just a cake!
Luxury Ballooning in Sri Lanka
Okay, that's what I want for my birthday!
I Love Those Who Agree: Now Don Responds
And the result is, not only are we in touch at the click of a mouse button, but the world is becoming so similar. One can be away from home by several thousand miles and and a few continents, and still go to a cinema complex, watch "Mystic River", eat at KFC or Mickey D's, smoke Marlboro lights (or not), stop in at the local cold store and pick up a box of Oreo cookies and low fat milk to have on my Post Raisin Bran in the morning. Come in at mid-night, turn on a 29 inch TV and watch Will & Grace or Jay Leno, take a shower with Dial soap, and go to sleep on Martha Stewart K-Mart sheets. Am I in Vermont, Thailand, Bahrain or Sri Lanka?
A far cry from my Peace Corps days in a small village in Senegal.
Labels: Bahrain, Don, food, technology
Wednesday, March 24, 2004
Slimming Down: 'Camcorder-wise'
I used to think my old camcorders were so amazing. How neat to have a whole TV studio in one's possession.
Yet my current dinosaur is so bulkly that it makes actually taking it along on a trip a huge burden. It seldom leaves the shelf.
The collection of old 8-mm tapes were not easy to keep organized. I've tried to run some of them through my capture card in order to burn the stuff on DVD's. After watching satellite TV for a few years and all movies in commerical DVD format, I realize the video output from those tapes sucks!
Now I want a new digital video camera. How come I always have a whole list of items to buy that are over Cnd $1000.00?
dvspot review: Sony DCR-HC40
Yet my current dinosaur is so bulkly that it makes actually taking it along on a trip a huge burden. It seldom leaves the shelf.
The collection of old 8-mm tapes were not easy to keep organized. I've tried to run some of them through my capture card in order to burn the stuff on DVD's. After watching satellite TV for a few years and all movies in commerical DVD format, I realize the video output from those tapes sucks!
Now I want a new digital video camera. How come I always have a whole list of items to buy that are over Cnd $1000.00?
dvspot review: Sony DCR-HC40
Labels: camera
Tuesday, March 23, 2004
On Sunday, I mentioned the Firefly I owned when working in Dubai. In some places in the world they were sold as Suzuki Swifts or as Geo Metros. It was my first brand-new car. I bought it upon arrival in the Emirates with traveller's cheques from my previous work in Bahrain. I drove the little, red thing for five years.
Labels: Dubai
Monday, March 22, 2004
Mid-flight Course Correction
Finally .... it does feel good to have them corrected and turned in. It was enough of an event to justify going out for lunch at Hara's Buffet in Surrey. They have Canadian, Chinese, and Indian food. I always eat too much, so going there is only permitted on special occasions.
Additionally, it was 13C (55F) degrees and sunny. The cherry and magnolia trees are near full bloom. Spring is always welcoming!
Additionally, it was 13C (55F) degrees and sunny. The cherry and magnolia trees are near full bloom. Spring is always welcoming!
Getting a pile of final examinations completely corrected is a good feeling. Well actually, I'll report back when I'm able to do that! It will take me a while longer to confirm that it feels good.
Labels: BCIT
Sunday, March 21, 2004
Desert Mountain Area
Hi, these are some pictures taken in Fujairah yesterday ... it was such a wonderful place ... I hope you like the pictures.
Best Regards,
Humaid
Thanks for the pictures, Humaid. I chose this one to include here. I was
in Dubai from 1991 to 1996. A drive over to this part of the UAE was
always fun. If I'd have had a 4-wheel drive vehicle rather than a
Pontiac Firefly, I could have done lots of 'off-roading'.
Best Regards,
Humaid
Thanks for the pictures, Humaid. I chose this one to include here. I was
in Dubai from 1991 to 1996. A drive over to this part of the UAE was
always fun. If I'd have had a 4-wheel drive vehicle rather than a
Pontiac Firefly, I could have done lots of 'off-roading'.
Labels: Dubai
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